Flicker
by OnBladedWings
Summary: What if Marian Hawke had been the younger sibling of the three? With only a lone warrior to protect her and a power she cannot understand, let alone control, can she truly survive to become the champion Kirkwall needs her to be? AU, Femslash.


A/N: Hello all! Got stuck house sitting for a friend for a week, home alone with his copy of Dragon Age 2. I was rather surprised how much fun it was, considering how many people rag on it for not being a clone of it's predecessor. I liked it so much, in fact, that I bought it myself. Now with all these wonderful pairings floating around in my head, I thought I'd try and pen my own take on DA2. Here we go!

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><p>Marion whimpered, clenching her fist and watching the darkspawn ignite as it fell before her. The world had turned upside-down on the Hawke family, the blight forcing them from their home in a desperate attempt to escape.<p>

Less than a day before, Carver had stormed in wearing the bloodstained remnants of his military uniform and scaring Leandra half to death. With barely the breath to speak, he explained the danger and began furiously packing what little they could afford to carry. Bethany had dropped a bowl of the soup she and Leandra had been preparing and ran to gather her staff and fathers grimoire, while Marian had simply clung to her mother in fear.

They had left the village just in time to hear the screams as the first scouts reached the line of templars who had stayed to hold back the tide as long as they could.

The ogre began its charge again, and as she danced aside and her staff cut and burned a gash through the beast's leg, a bloodcurdling scream made her heart stop. Time seemed to slow as she turned in time to see the hurlock's sword slide into Bethany's ribcage and through the other side, her face a mask of agony and fear.

Marian's staff clattered to the ground, having slipped from the young girl's hand.

A triumphant howl behind her forced her to twist, her face becoming splattered with Carver's blood as the ogre slammed his lifeless body into the ground until it was unrecognizable as the man who had once been her older brother.

Marian's knees hit the stone, her breath ragged and uneven.

Quiet sobs and begging prayers were followed by the sickening sound of blade meeting bone, Leandra's head rolling to a stop in front of her daughter. Her cheeks were still wet with tears, her face locked in a look of horror.

Marian's scream, and the resulting explosion, shook the stone for miles.

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><p>Marian awoke with a start, sitting bolt up-right in a cold sweat. She nearly toppled over as she tried to get up, still tangled in her lover's embrace. She curled her legs under her, sobbing quietly until she felt the warm arms circle around her from behind, comforting. "I'm sorry." Was all she could whisper, her throat to tight for anything more.<p>

"It's alright… the same dream?" The strong hands gently stroked Marian's stomach, rubbing a comforting circle. Soon the tears stopped and Marian allowed herself to recline against the older woman, allowed herself to be comforted.

"I… I want to stop going back there. Why can't I leave it behind?" She whispered, as she felt warm kisses trail along her neck, barely touching the skin before moving on. One hand reached up to wipe away the tears lovingly, cupping her cheek.

It didn't take her long to lose herself in the warmth of her love's embrace, turning to wrap her arms around her neck and kiss her softly. They pulled the covers back up to ward off the chill night air and soon the young Hawke had drifted off to sleep once more.

And for the first time in almost seven years, she did not dream.

"Marian? Marian!" Aveline slid more than ran down the slope of the crater to the body slumped in the middle. What few darkspawn remained after the blast had retreated, clearly afraid of the power they had witnessed. If the redheaded woman had not seen it for herself, she would not have believed it.

The raven-haired teen was unconscious, but did not seem to be badly injured. Several cuts and scrapes from near-misses were evident, but no fatal wounds. Aveline quickly gathered the girl in her arms and climbed back over the edge of the scorched earth, only to be greeted by the smirking visage of an old woman.

"Well, well… What have we here?" Her voice was cold, confident. With her hair tied back in horns and the half-plate she wore, she seemed almost regal in her mannerisms. Aveline was not moved, though. She felt the wrongness that seemed to emanate from the creature before her in waves and knew exactly what she was.

"Away with you, witch. You'll not take us easily!" She cried, defiance evident in her voice. She had just lost her husband, dead by her own hand. She had lost one of the few friends she had known in her command, Carver. She had watched Carver's family taken to the sword by darkspawn. She would be damned before she would allow the last Hawke to be taken, darkspawn or otherwise.

"Take you? Take you were? I don't believe I offered any such thing… though perhaps I could be swayed." She smiled her dark smile, and stepped casually over the charred remains of several hurlocks. "You will not escape the horde in your present state, not carrying the girl. Perhaps you should leave her."

Aveline heard a deep growl, and it took a moment to register in her mind that it was coming from herself.

The old woman laughed, her golden eyes glimmering. "Such fire, to protect a child that is not your own." She seemed contemplative for moment, before tilting her head and raising an eyebrow. "Perhaps a deal can be struck. I can lead you from the horde, but in exchange… there is something I require."

Everything in Aveline's better judgement told her not to make a deal with such a creature, but she could not ignore the quietly whimpering girl in her arms. If the old woman could get them to safety, perhaps whatever price there was to pay might be worth it. "Kirkwall." Aveline stated, more a proclamation than a question.

"Kirkwall? In the Free Marches? Quite the journey you have planned… I can take you as far as Gwerren, perhaps. But that means nothing if you do not agree to my bargain." The old woman's smile never wavered.

In her mind she knew she would regret this, but in her heart she saw no other choice. She would not be responsible for another death, no matter what. Aveline narrowed her eyes further, her throat tight.

"What do you want?"

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><p>When Marian awoke, it was to the gentle swaying of the sea. She felt weak, her muscles not responding to her demands to sit up. Her mouth was dry and cracked, and she coughed a little. Almost instantly she felt strong arms around her, lifting her head slightly and a cup pressing against her lips.<p>

She dribbled most of the water down her chin, trying to remember how to work her throat muscles, but she managed a few good sips. Her eyes fluttered open, vision blurred and distorted. It took a moment before Aveline's concerned face came into focus. She tried to speak, but it came out a pained groan, followed by a cough.

"It's alright Marian, lay still. We're safe." The older woman gently helped her sit up, the young mage leaning against her. She tried to remember how she had gotten here, why it felt like the floor was rocking and where all these other people had come from. She couldn't see Bethany or Carver, or her mother…

And then she remembered.

Not a sound escaped her raw throat, but the shaking told Aveline of the young girl's tears before she had even managed to curl in on herself. Wrapping her arms around Marian, she held the girl tight and tried her best to comfort her, though she knew it would not be enough.

All the while the brilliant blue sapphire crystal hanging from the silver chain around Marian's neck, placed there by the old woman, flickered with what seemed to be an inner light.

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><p>AN: I'm looking for somone who might be able to help me out, I'm notorious for starting but never finishing stories. If anyone dosn't mind hanging around on an IM to bounce ideas with me let me know.

As always, review! They feed my muse, and she is hungry!


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